Saul, a Pharisee, of the New Testament, “breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord” (Acts 9:1 NKJV) marches off to the high priest, his ‘governmental’ control, seeking permission to capture followers of Jesus, and bring them bound to Jerusalem. How’s that for delegated ‘governmental’ control?
Saul sets off for Damascus to ’round up’ Jesus people; however, his quest is short circuited by Jesus, Himself. Why? The scripture says that “suddenly a light shone around him from heaven”; “he fell to the ground, and heard a voice ” speaking to him (Acts 9: 3b, 4a NKJV). The voice addresses him by name, “Saul, Saul, “why are you persecuting Me?” (Acts 9:4b NKJV) Jesus is telling Saul that going after His followers is going after Him personally.
Someone greater than Saul is on the scene. As my Study Bible says regarding Acts 9:4, “Saul was not just persecuting people; he was opposing Christ.” (See Matthew 25:40, 45) Looking at these two verses, we encounter the Son of Man’s response to those that are being judged at His coming. Jesus says, “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him then He well sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.” (Matthew 25:31,32 NKJV). verse 34 continues, “Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world’….(verse 41)”Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his angels.”
Jesus makes His distinction between sheep and goats, based upon their response to needs of the people in their midst. He specifically says that meeting the needs of those in distress was the same as ministering personally unto Him; and not meeting the needs of those in distress was the same as not ministering unto Him personally.
In light of what is being said and done, who is in ‘governmental’ control?
On the Damascus road, Jesus has confronted Saul of Tarsus, and blinded him with a brilliant light. Saul cries out, (Acts 9:5 NKJV) “Who are You, Lord?” [May I interject that Saul has recognized an authority greater than himself.]
Jesus is exercising His Sovereign ‘governmental’ control over an individual’s life.
Acts 9: 5 continues, (NKJV), “Then the Lord said, ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’ “
Obvious Question: What is a goad? (Notes from my Study Bible) A goad is a pointed stick for urging on a team of oxen. This may mean that Paul was already having his conscience pricked about the terrible things he was doing.”
Acts9:6 records Saul’s response, “So he trembling and astonished said, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” The Lord said to him, “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Assuming you know the story of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, who became the Apostle Paul, you will understand when I say, that Saul who became Paul, learned the ‘governmental’ control of the Lord Jesus Christ in his lifetime; and the Apostle Paul communicated that ‘governmental’ control throughout his letters to the churches.
In I Samuel 12:1-25, the ‘seer’ of Israel, Samuel speaks “to all Israel”. Samuel summarizes what he and the people have just recently experienced. The people’s choice, actually God’s choice, stands before them. Samuel shares a verbal resume of his ministry with them, including his conduct, and his behavior. Samuel asks for their evaluation of his ministry. The people respond, “You have not cheated us or oppressed us , nor have you taken anything from any man’s hand.”(I Samuel 12:4, NKJV). Samuel is a man with ‘a clean heart and pure hands’. Samuel solemnizes the assessment of the people saying to them, (I Samuel 12:5 NKJV), “The Lord is witness against you, and His anointed is witness this day that you have not found anything in my hand.” And they answered, “He is witness”. ”
Now what? case closed, No.
I Samuel 12:7-17. Samuel calls for their attention so that he may ‘reason’ with them, “before the Lord concerning all the righteous acts of the Lord which He did to you and your fathers.” Then beginning with Jacob, who had settled in Egypt, Samuel rehearses Israel’s crying out to the Lord, the Lord raising up Moses and Aaron, and delivering them out of Egypt. Verse 9, he reminds them of forgetting God, and God raising up other nations to fight against them. Why? so that they would be awakened to the realization that they had “sinned and forsaken the Lord and served the Baals and Ashtoreths”; why? so that they would cry out to be delivered. That’s exactly what the people did. (verse 10b). What did God do? (verse 11), “And the Lord sent”…, God raised up leaders/judges that He used to deliver them “out of the hand of your enemies on every side and you will dwell in safety.” (verse 11b NKJV)
One would presume that the people be grateful. Wrong! Samuel transitions (verse 12) to an event that just recently took place in the selection of Saul, the Benjamite, being anointed Israel’s first king. I Samuel 11:1-15 tells the story. I Samuel 12:12 summarizes the event with these words, “And when you saw that Nahash king of the Ammonites came against you, you said to me, ‘No, but a king shall reign over us, ‘ when the Lord your God was your king.”
I Samuel 12:13-19, Samuel intensifies the rhetoric, and asks the Lord to bear witness regarding the people’s request for a king. Samuel is going to ask God to do something very specific to show (verse 17-18) His ‘disapproval’ about what has taken place.
Verses 16-18, “Now therefore, stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes; Is today not the wheat harvest? (this was not the season or time for thunder and rain) I will call to the Lord, and He will send thunder and rain that you may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which you have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking for a king for yourselves. So Samuel called to the Lord, and the Lord, sent thunder and rain that day and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel.” (Reminds me of Moses)
Who is in ‘governmental’ control?
verse 19 tells us how the people responded to what took place? “And all the people said to Samuel, “Pray for your servants to the Lord your God, that we may not die; for we have added to all our sins, and the evil of asking a king for ourselves.”
In verses 17-18, God has shown His displeasure. In verse 19, the people are afraid of God and Samuel. Now what?
Read I Samuel 12: 20-25, they are saturated with God’s GRACE and MERCY. [But be careful of verse 25, God keeps His Covenant with His people. He blesses their obedience; and He curses their disobedience. (Deuteronomy 28)]
What Samuel shares reminds me of our Father’s steadfast love.
Lamentations 3:21-23, (TLV), “This I recall to my heart–Therefore I have hope: Because of the mercies of ADONAI we will not be consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning! Great is Your faithfulness.”
It is so reassuring that Our God is in ‘governmental’ control.
As I attempt to close out my thoughts about ‘governmental’ control, I am reminded of a comment I just heard by a Bible teacher as he was explaining a concept of scripture. He lamented that he felt like he was walking down a hallway and all the doors in the hallway were opening up as he walked by. Let me explain what he was saying. As I have been going through the composing of this blog series, there have been so many mental ‘doors’ that open up for me to walk through and develop; but that would only sidetrack me. (Just like what I just shared)
I Samuel 12:20,21. Listen to the heart of God expressed through His servant Samuel. Samuel sounds like a pastor/shepherd. I am going to quote the Tree of Life Version (TLV). It is a Hebraic translation.
Verse 20, “Samuel said to the people, “Fear not! Indeed you have done all this evil, yet do not turn aside from following ADONAI, worship ADONAI with all your heart.”
In verse 18, the people were paralyzed with fear of God and Samuel. Here the Lord is speaking reassuring words to them to “Fear not!” Sound familiar. Samuel acknowledges that they have done wickedness; however, the people are encouraged to not forsake following the Lord, but to give themselves to worshipping Him “with all your heart.” What Grace!, what Mercy!, what Love! The Lord is telling His people to turn to Him and not to allow their sin to drive them away from Him.
Verse 21 continues this admonition. “Do not turn aside to go after empty things that cannot profit or deliver, (Note: sounds like idols to me) for they are futile (This is one of those open doors in the hallway to walk through, I John 5:21, “Children, guard yourselves from idols.”) The wisdom being conveyed here is the people’s desire to be like the other nations that surround them. They are nations that are polytheistic. They worship many idols. They are ‘of the world’. God’s people are not of ‘the world’. They are separate from ‘the world’. That’s the issue.
Verse 22 confirms this thought. “For ADONAI will not forsake His people for His great Name’s sake, because it has pleased ADONAI to make you a people to Himself.” This statement is not just an open door into a room down the hallway; this statement is a grand entry way into a large, extravagant ball room. This is the substance of the entire Word of God.
Yes, the people of God have sinned; yes, God is upset; yes, God’s servant, Samuel is displeased; and yes, the people have a longing in their heart to be like the nations that surround them. However, God has made a Covenant with His people, and He will keep that Covenant. And beyond all of this is the Reality of Who God Is. The Sovereign, All-Powerful, Omnipotent Creator of the Universe, the Holy One of Israel, the One True God who works out all things according to the council of His will. (Ephesians 1:11, Romans 8:20-30) The God who loves us with an everlasting love. The God who has spared no cost or effort to redeem and reconcile humanity back to Himself through His Son Jesus Christ. (John 3:16, Colossians 1:19-23)
Reflecting upon I Samuel 12:22, Hear the Word of the Lord, what was true in the day of Samuel is true today in the time in which we live. The Lord will not forsake His people. In Christ, we are today, the Israel of God; we have a NEW Covenant. It was made between God the Father, and God the Son. It was ratified with the Blood of Christ, not the blood of bulls and goats like the OLD Covenant. It was verified by the Resurrection of Christ from the grave. Our God reigns. He is in complete ‘governmental’ control. There is absolutely no doubt about that fact. All authority has been given unto the Lord Jesus Christ. He sits at the right hand of His Father and reigns NOW. And one day, He will return and physically exercise His authority in this world.
As verse 22 says, Our Father, abides by His Word; He has promised to keep His Word to His people, as it implies He honors His Covenant because Israel is His people, “for His great name’s sake”; why? “because it pleased the Lord to make you His people.” Let those words sink in and reside in your heart. God loves you; He will fulfill His Word to you; He is pleased with you. A chorus comes to mind. The words are found in Zephaniah 3:17. “ADONAI your God is in your midst-a mighty Savior! He will delight over you with joy. He will quiet You with His love. He will dance for joy over you with singing.” (TLV)
In verse 23, Samuel inserts a personal, pastoral note. “Moreover, as for me, far be it that from me that I should sin against ADONAI by ceasing to pray for you!” I wonder what is going on in Samuel’s mind. Maybe something like this: I am old, grey haired, it is at the end of my lifetime, my time with these people has come to an end, the people have chosen to go a different direction, and I will just slip into the ‘sunset of my life’ and quietly rest with the Lord. Samuel does not wallow in that mindset. I am reminded of these words, Romans 11:29 says, “for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable .” In context, God will keep His Covenant promises to His people, and that includes us. Some scholars also believe that there is a principle to live by in this verse. What gifts and calling has the Lord placed upon your life as a believer in Him. Those gifts and call are irrevocable. I would like to suggest that this principle is true in Samuel’s life. Samuel was a child born as an answer to his mother’s prayer. Samuel “grew before ADONAI”. (I Samuel 2:21b TLV) Samuel was set apart for service to the Lord as a child, gifted by God and called to be God’s seer to His people. Now that was coming to a close; but Samuel’s gifts and calling still abided upon him, and I believe he realized that. So what did he choose to do? I Samuel 12:23 , he chose to continue in prayer for the people; and he said that “I will teach you the good and right way.” Samuel continued to exercise his gifts and calling in behalf of the people.
Verses 24, 25 lay the foundation for the continuation of Samuel’s ministry to the people. I do not believe that he is saying anything new to them that they haven’t heard before; but I believe that their is a freshness in the spirit of Samuel as he says these words. May I say that Samuel has been ‘quickened by the Holy Spirit”. He has been energized. I think he has turned a corner in his mindset to continue, not step away disappointed with how things transpired between God and His people, and himself as a mediator.
So what did Samuel say to the people? “Only fear ADONAI, worship Him in truth with all your heart, consider how magnificently He has dealt with you.” Israel, people of God, you need to ‘major’ on the blessings of your God, worship Him with all your being ( Hear O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the Lord thy God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.” Deuteronomy 6:5,6 TLV) Remember to abide in truth, and recount how God has intervened for you all the days of your life. You are the Lord’s people. However, Samuel continues, reminding them of the other side to the coin. “But if you persist in acting wickedly, you will be swept away, both you and your king.” Is Samuel being harsh? No, he is being faithful to the God that he has served since childhood. He is presenting to the people the Word of the Lord, the Word of the Mosaic Covenant, The Law of God that was handed down to them at Mt. Sinai. This is the nation of Israel that when God heard their cry He delivered them out of their bondage in Egypt. They are not hearing new words; but I believe they are hearing them from a servant who has been rejuvenated to do what he was gifted and called to do as God’s servant.
Israel thought they could take control. In the end, they realized that they had made a serious error. God exercised His Sovereign control over the situation and brought things into existence that had been known before the foundation of the world. God continues to arrange the history of mankind to bring about the fulfillment of His redemptive process as outlined in His Word.
And so , here we are in 2021. Mankind is still exercising its ‘governmental’ control over the affairs of the nations of this world. And where is it all headed? It is headed to the fulfilled prophetic Word of God that is outlined in Scripture. And scholars are scrambling over the interpretation and meanings of what is in God’s Word trying to bring about an understanding of where we are in God’s timeline in the age in which we live.
I am going to close at this time. There is a door in the hallway that leads into a room I would like to explore.
blessings, a journeyer in Christ, deo
would you believe, tbc (too many doors)
Living Words of Encouragement 